B*TCH BOXER - 8 out of 10
Dead Darling Theatre
TICKETS: B*TCH BOXER | Adelaide Fringe
B*TCH BOXER is a critically acclaimed, raw, and
physical one-woman play by Charlotte Josephine that follows Chloe, a boxer
training for the 2012 Olympics while grieving her father's death. The 60-minute
show explores themes of rage, love, and female empowerment in a patriarchal
society. Presented by Dead Darling Theatre, the one-woman shining on the stage
is Shardae Santos.
As a recent Flinders University, Bachelor of Performance
(Acting) graduate, Santos is motivated by telling stories that invigorate
audiences and spark connection. In the middle of 2025, this play was brought to
Dead Darling Theatre for consideration by Santos and is reportedly the ultimate
companion to their other Fringe show, unmothered, premiering next week.
The 60-minute play begins with the harsh fluorescent lighting
in the performance space at Goodwood Theatres & Studio kept on. The stage
is set with a single makeshift locker room style bench with a hook rack. The
simplicity that is then used throughout the play to become a central feature.
Santos, as Chloe, enters with a gym bag, and everything else that is needed is
in that gym bag. She pulls out a skipping rope and begins… skipping. I lost
count at 89 reps, but it could have easily ended up crossing the triple digits
mark.
Santos’ East London/ cockney accent was flawless, with many audience
members shocked during at the end when she addressed the audience to thank them
for coming etc that it wasn’t her natural dialect. During the Q&A held, it
was revealed she had worked with a dialect coach throughout her four years at Uni
on various accents and was able to seek additional guidance during the
rehearsal period.
Despite it being a one-woman show, there were other
characters involved in Chloe’s story – her dad, her coach Lenny, friends at a party…
her partner Jamie. Each character was given a different dynamic with physical movements
and stances that Santos was able to embody to allow the audience to know
immediately she was no longer playing Chloe in that moment, and with a snap,
she was back.
The technical elements of the production were deliberate and
appropriate. The music used is originally composed by Producer Amelia Rooney,
and while subtlety was used in its placement, once you recognised the varying beats
and tunes, you were able to recognise what scenes we were jumping into/ out of.
The lighting was impactful. Smooth when progressing through scenes, but also
punchy when they needed to be, particularly in the ultimate boxing match that
concluded the play.
Director Hannah Smith is quickly becoming a director in
Adelaide that will be known for her directing choices and styles, and this is
another amazing example of the team she is able to lead to achieve greatness.
- Andrew Broadbent
Comments
Post a Comment